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In a city famed for its car culture, LA Metro was meant to offer Angelenos a modern, reliable transit system. Instead, it’s become a case study in how not to run public transportation. Riders now face soaring crime rates, unreliable service, bloated construction costs, and a bureaucracy more focused on image than outcomes. From shocking safety failures to rail projects that cost more per mile than anywhere else in the country, this Golden Fleece® report exposes how poor governance and misplaced priorities have derailed the agency’s mission, and what reforms could put it back on track. https://www.independent.org/article/2025/10/15/the-los-angeles-metro-unacceptable-crime-high-costs-and-unnecessary-expansions/

Publications and Public Affairs Counsel Christopher B. Briggs testified in front of the U.S. Senate and explained how Obamacare turns Americans into medical serfs: tied to their zip code and forbidden from seeking care that could save a child with cancer—in Briggs’ case, that child being his own daughter.

Kristian Fors, research fellow at the Independent Institute, delivers a blistering exposé on how outdated regulations, wildfire risk, and political gamesmanship have left homeowners scrambling for coverage—or completely uninsured.

From declining enrollments and skyrocketing tuition to the stifling of intellectual diversity, Richard Vedder’s Let Colleges Fail exposes how centralized control, administrative bloat, and ideological orthodoxy have corroded our college campuses. But rather than lament, Vedder’s book proposes market-oriented reforms that could revive academic freedom and restore genuine competition in the world of ideas.

Mary Theroux delivered a speech at the university’s graduation, and expressed deep gratitude towards the university for giving her the honor of speaking at an institution renowned worldwide. She starts her speech by paying tribute to Manuel Ayau, the visionary founder of Francisco Marroquin University, and she says Manuel’s dedication inspired generations, especially in advancing classical liberalism. Following this, Mary highlights the privilege the graduates have had in studying under the principles of liberty and human rights.

During a distinguished ceremony at Universidad Francisco Marroquín’s annual awards event, Mary Theroux was presented with an Honorary Doctorate, acknowledging her dedication to promoting liberty and ethical principles throughout her career. In her acceptance speech, Theroux addressed graduating students and their families, reflecting on the importance of integrity, hard work, and finding personal satisfaction in both life and career. Rather than simply following a singular passion, she encouraged graduates to embrace every opportunity with dedication, curiosity, and a willingness to grow.

In order to combat ideological approaches to the subject, Independent Institute Senior Fellow Williamson M. Evers has designed Independent’s Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies Curriculum, which he publicly launched at the renowned Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.

Unlike some state-recommended curricula, this teaching plan is animated not by ideology but by balance. It builds on years of rigorous research and pedagogical insight. Students will love this curriculum, and it will be a breath of fresh air for teachers. Evers’ talk will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.

Visit the Commonwealth Club’s page for this event.

“Sunset on the Humanities?” captures a live discussion at The ‪Rosenbach Museum‬, moderated by ‪The Civi Discourse‬ Host Paula Marantz Cohen (Distinguished Professor of English and former Dean of Pennoni Honors College at ‪Drexel University‬) and featuring a panel of four experts in a range of humanities-driven fields: Andrew Delbanco; Phillip Magness (author, economic historian, and The Independent Institute chair); Dana A. Williams (‪Howard University‬ professor of African American literature, Dean of the Graduate School, and President of ‪Modern Language Association‬); and Laurie Zierer (Executive Director of ‪Pennsylvania Humanities Council‬).

This conversation examines the importance of the humanities and the role of academic and cultural institutions in the future of a knowledgeable, informed, and well-rounded society.

“Marx and the Continuing Influence of Socialism”
Benjamin Powell
Texas Tech University

This speech was given on November 6, 2023, during a Hillsdale College CCA seminar on “Great Economists.”